Meet the Founder
Hey! I'm India. I created Wear It Forward LDN from my home in South East London. Since I was little I always loved fashion, always changing outfits on my Polly Pockets, hosting fashion shows in the living room. My mum used to take me to charity shopping every Saturday.
I studied fashion retail at City College Norwich and have held various positions within fashion retail over the last 10 years, from H&M to Harrods, but nothing felt like the right fit for me. I always felt like I could do more.
Throughout 2024, I funded 3 holidays by selling my clothes on Vinted, and when I decided to quit my most recent job at Harvey Nichols, I started selling my clothes again to make some extra cash... but they weren't selling. So I began to reduce the prices and reach out to people with offers... Most of the responses I got? 'I want it, but I can't afford it'.
Then it dawned on me... I could do this full-time while tackling some serious issues; accessible, affordable clothing, plus making an income since I was unemployed. Thus - Wear It Forward LDN was born.
Here at Wear It Forward LDN, we pride ourselves on providing good-quality second-hand clothing at affordable prices. In the UK, during this cost-of-living crisis, people are relying on cheaper ways to access everything, including clothing. That's why we source our pieces from within the UK to keep other small businesses going. Most of our pieces are gently worn/pre-loved, but some are brand new with tags.
We recommend you resell, reuse or recycle any of your old and unwanted items and donate to your local charity shops or clothing banks.
Second-hand clothing is booming in the UK, with the market worth around £5 billion in 2023. Over 60% of UK consumers bought pre-owned clothes last year, driven by affordability, sustainability, and vintage trends. Platforms like Depop and Vinted have surged in popularity, alongside traditional charity shops. Buying second-hand can extend a garment’s life by nine months, reducing its environmental impact by 20-30%. The shift towards resale is helping cut textile waste and promote more sustainable fashion habits.
The UK discards approximately 336,000 tonnes of clothing annually, with most ending up in landfills. On average, each person throws away over 3 kg of textiles yearly. Synthetic fabrics can take up to 200 years to decompose, contributing to long-term environmental damage. Fast fashion drives this waste, with clothing consumption rising and garment lifespans shortening. Despite growing awareness, only 10-15% of unwanted clothes are recycled or reused. Textile waste also contributes significantly to carbon emissions, prompting calls for improved recycling and sustainable fashion choices.